Kato Automatic Crossing Gate

[westfalen]

I took my crossing to today's club meeting to show off to everyone, I set it up on a bare T-TRAK module in a layout we set up on the back deck of my brother's place and it operated erratically all day, sometimes not at all, I tried adjusting the sensitivity and checked all the connections to no avail. Once the sun started to go down it gradually improved and eventually was operating perfectly again, we came to the conclusion that the infrared sensors don't agree with sunlight.

[cteno4]

lol you're right they dont!

 

jeff

[inobu]

The outside light skews the ir circuitry in seeing the emitters "reflected beam". 

 

Ken's hand test confirms that the emitters has a wide angle and low sensitivity (meaning the trigger window is wide making it vulnerable to false detections in sunlight.) 

 

Inobu

 

 

If you want to see the output of the IR LED use a digital camera or the camera on your phone. It will show the IR LED as white.

[marknewton]

Thanks Ken! I know that there are other ways to make a working crossing in HO, but I want that distinctive electronic chime sound. "Your reply will cost me a lot of money in the future." 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[keitaro]

so that is a bad side of the crossing i wonder how tomix's new one will go and how it would do with dcc.

[linkey]

For the Auusie members who has the new KATO Crossing, what did you do in regards tothe power supply unit? As it is detactable I am wondering if there is a componet that would have the Australian style socket to be connected so I can have power to the crossing or did you guys did something else to make it work?

[cteno4]

If someone could look on the ac adapter to see if it's a universal 100-220v and 50/60 hertz. If it is (and I would expect so) then you would only need a prong adapter. Elsewise you would only need find an Aussie wall wart of the same voltage for a few bucks.

 

Jeff

[westfalen]

If someone could look on the ac adapter to see if it's a universal 100-220v and 50/60 hertz. If it is (and I would expect so) then you would only need a prong adapter. Elsewise you would only need find an Aussie wall wart of the same voltage for a few bucks.

 

Jeff

it is 100-240v so will work in Australia (or other countries) with an adapter which is what I am doing.

[westfalen]

so that is a bad side of the crossing i wonder how tomix's new one will go and how it would do with dcc.

 

 

Considering how often we run our trains outdoors it's not a big disadvantage.

[keitaro]

yeah but do big lights indoor also cause this?? one would assume they do

[cteno4]

yeah but do big lights indoor also cause this?? one would assume they do

 

No it's not that common indoors. Your household remotes use IR emitters and sensors because of this. It's most likely looking for the bounced signal off the bottom of the train so it would tha a pretty big signal from an external source to set it off and you won't find that indoors. Outside though you have ole sol.

 

The great thing kato did here with using the IR transmitter and sensor is that it eliminates most of the issues that other opto train sensing systems have. It allows them to work in the dark as well under changing light conditions and there should be few indoor things that should interfere with it.

 

Jeff

[KenS]

My layout room where I did my testing is very brightly lit.  I had a half-dozen 50-watt-equivalent CFL floodlights about six feel from the crossing and pointed directly at it, and more elsewhere providing scattered light of walls, etc, with no issues.  Sunlight is a lot brighter than any indoor lighting.  It's not really surprising it would cause problems.  It's also going to fade the paint on buildings and trains if your layout is exposed to sunlight, so I wouldn't recomment it even without the grade crossing.

 

It is an issue for outdoor exhibition, but probably not something most people would ever encounter.

[linkey]

If someone could look on the ac adapter to see if it's a universal 100-220v and 50/60 hertz. If it is (and I would expect so) then you would only need a prong adapter. Elsewise you would only need find an Aussie wall wart of the same voltage for a few bucks.

 

Jeff

it is 100-240v so will work in Australia (or other countries) with an adapter which is what I am doing.

 

Thanks Westy for that as I was thinking that was the way to go after all I didn't want to cut the wiring to replace the power pack with an AS power pack. (even though I can as I have the soldering skills to do that)

[hepkat63]

everywhere I looked, they are sold out, or have no stock 'yet'.  Any clues where to buy one?

[bill937ca]

everywhere I looked, they are sold out, or have no stock 'yet'.  Any clues where to buy one?

 

HS shows it as not having arrived yet.  Pre-orders are closed.